How A New Sound Is Born: Biography Of The Simeon Synthesizer

How A New Sound Is Born: Biography Of The Simeon Synthesizer

“We are the first to admit that the Simeon is a crude little monster. It was never meant to be a Moog-like creature, in fact it was recently in the same recording studio with a Moog and it didn’t blush a bit. Someone called it the result of hippie technology and it flexed its muscles. It is made to be a live-performance instrument, and leaves all the multi-overdubbing tricks to the sophisticated black boxes with blinking lights and myriads of patch cords. The Simeon loves to crouch out in the middle of a stage and have someone pull out all of its stops. It’s an energy machine— gettin it together— it once tried to mount the Moog, with love in its tubes.”- Simeon Coxe, Other Scenes, Volume 3/Issue 8, July 1-14, 1969

(Article by Simeon Coxe about the history of the Simeon “synthesizer” from the July 1-14, 1969 edition of underground news and arts publication Other Scenes.)

(Article by Simeon Coxe about the history of the Simeon “synthesizer” from the July 1-14, 1969 edition of underground news and arts publication Other Scenes.)

(Technical diagram of the Simeon.)

(Technical diagram of the Simeon.)

(Simeon Coxe and the front of the Simeon “synthesizer” performing live with Silver Apples as part of a free concert in Washington Square Park in New York City from July 6, 1968. Photo by Syeus Mottel, courtesy of Matt Mottel.)

(Simeon Coxe and the front of the Simeon “synthesizer” performing live with Silver Apples as part of a free concert in Washington Square Park in New York City from July 6, 1968. Photo by Syeus Mottel, courtesy of Matt Mottel.)

(Simeon Coxe and the back of the Simeon “synthesizer” performing live with Silver Apples as part of a free concert in Washington Square Park in New York City from July 6, 1968. Photo by Syeus Mottel, courtesy of Matt Mottel.)

(Simeon Coxe and the back of the Simeon “synthesizer” performing live with Silver Apples as part of a free concert in Washington Square Park in New York City from July 6, 1968. Photo by Syeus Mottel, courtesy of Matt Mottel.)

(Sideview of Simeon Coxe and the Simeon “synthesizer”— with a young fan looking on— performing live with Silver Apples as part of a free concert in Washington Square Park in New York City from July 6, 1968. Photo by Syeus Mottel, courtesy of Matt Mo…

(Sideview of Simeon Coxe and the Simeon “synthesizer”— with a young fan looking on— performing live with Silver Apples as part of a free concert in Washington Square Park in New York City from July 6, 1968. Photo by Syeus Mottel, courtesy of Matt Mottel.)

(Close up of fans/onlookers playing with the the control board of the Simeon during a free concert in Washington Square Park in New York City from July 6, 1968. Photo by Syeus Mottel, courtesy of Matt Mottel.)

(Close up of fans/onlookers playing with the the control board of the Simeon during a free concert in Washington Square Park in New York City from July 6, 1968. Photo by Syeus Mottel, courtesy of Matt Mottel.)

Lee Shook